Kosova Daily Report #1710, 99-03-04

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From: Kosova Information Center <http://www.kosova.com/>

Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1710
Prishtina, 4 March 1999

First Edition: 11:30 CET
Second Edition: 17:00 CET

CONTENTS

[01] Gunfire, Shelling Reported near Llapushnik Today Morning

[02] Heavy Build-up of Serbian Troops and Armor in Podujeva Area

[03] Column of Serbian Troops Heads towards Mihaliq Village of Vushtrri

[04] Serbian Forces Shell Six Villages in Mitrovica and Vushtrri Area

[05] Gunfire Reported in Gjakova and Border Area Villages in Southwestern Kosova

[06] Stepped up Movement of Serbian Military and Police in the Klina Area

[01] Gunfire, Shelling Reported near Llapushnik Today Morning

Serbian forces tried to advance into the village, but were prevented from doing so by the U^K (Kosova Liberation Army), sources told the Kosova Information Center (KIC).

[02] Heavy Build-up of Serbian Troops and Armor in Podujeva Area

Serbs have massed troops and combat armor along the Prishtina- Podujeva highway today.

Serb forces have been patrolling the streets of the town of Podujeva, while entrances to and exists from the town are being held under a strict grip, with motorists and citizens being routinely stopped, searched and harassed by police.

Automatic weapons fire was heard early evening yesterday, at 18:20 CET, at the crossroads in Podujeva on the road leading to K&rpimeh village. In the aftermath, a number of detonations of shells fired from Serbian positions at Peran village, four km north, were heard.

Many Albanian citizens who happened to be on the streets of Podujeva were ill-treated by Serb police, local LDK sources told the KIC.

Meanwhile, Serbian media reported a Serb police officer was killed in last evening's incident in Podujeva.

Yugoslav army troops allowed to deploy three companies out of barracks in Kosova under a cease-fire agreement now have about 20 companies out on the ground in Kosova, OSCE monitors told Reuters on Wednesday. The Serb violation has reached the point where on the army side alone more than six times as many people are in the field as is allowed under a cease-fire supposedly backed by threat of NATO air strikes.

Meanwhile, Beatrice Lacoste, the OSCE spokeswoman was quoted by the Serbian Beta news agency as saying "the overall number of soldiers, tanks and police forces in Kosova is under the limit established by the agreement with NATO".

Asked by the Kosova Information Center (KIC), Ms Lacoste said today what she had said in fact was that Serbs were "not in excess of the limit", acknowledging that 20 Serb military companies were indeed out on the ground in Kosova.

Belgrade has massed troops and armor in and around Kosova to the levels generally agreed to be above the limit, some say in preparation for a huge Serbian offensive to destroy what has been achieved in the Rambouillet conference on Kosova.

[03] Column of Serbian Troops Heads towards Mihaliq Village of Vushtrri

A convoy of Serbian military and police troops, backed up by 30 vehicles, headed towards the village of Mihaliq today morning. Six Serbian combat vehicles left later, at 10:30 CET, also heading for this village.

Local sources said two members of the local Montenegrin community have been killed in yet unsolved circumstances.

Early in the morning today, a large part of the Albanian population of half a dozen Vushtrri villages (Mihaliq, Druar, Reznik, Shallc, Strofc, etc.) began fleeing their homes, in fear of an imminent Serbian crackdown.

[04] Serbian Forces Shell Six Villages in Mitrovica and Vushtrri Area

Serbian aircraft flew overheard the area during the Serbian bombardment of the Albanian villages.

In fear of an imminent Serbian offensive, hundreds of Albanians displaced from their home villages along the ^i^avica massif in the municipality of Vushtrri have been on the move, in search of relative safety in neighboring Obiliq municipality, local LDK sources said.

The Albanian residents of a number of neighborhoods in Mitrovica spent the night out, fearful of a Serbian attack in the town, local sources said.

Serbian police has been physically abusing Albanian citizens in roving check-point in Mitrovica today.

Meanwhile, the Serbian media said two Serbs, brothers Ljubisa and Radivoje Mitrovic, were killed in Mihaliq village last night, blaming the U^K for the killing. A member of the Serbian army was abducted, they added.

[05] Gunfire Reported in Gjakova and Border Area Villages in Southwestern Kosova

Heavy Serbian army and police forces and armor, including tanks, have been deployed in the ^abrati hill overlooking the town.

Scores of Albanian citizens are reported beaten up by police in Gjakova on a daily basis.

Heavy gunfire was reported overnight in the border villages of Reka e Keqe region, along the Kosova-Albanian border.

[06] Stepped up Movement of Serbian Military and Police in the Klina Area

Serbian aircraft flew overhead the Klina area today morning.

Meanwhile, sources said Serbian forces burned two Albanian houses in the village of Jellofc, Klina municipality, last night.

The intimidating presence of Serbian forces has made Albanian residents of Resnik village flee their homes.

Serbian police raided a number of Albanian-run eating and drinking establishments in the town of Klina yesterday, physically abusing the customers.

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